Japanese Snack Brand Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory Opens In Singapore

Fans of Japanese food, you're in for a treat. Three Nippon brands have just opened Singapore outposts - here's where to find them.

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory This Japanese snack brand is popular for its cheese-based tidbits, and now you no longer have to travel to Tokyo for it. The folks behind fellow Japanese cheese snack brand LeTao and local dessert store Once Upon A Milkshake have brought in the ‘Factory’ as a standalone kiosk. It sells the same range of snacks that you can get from Japan, such as the signature Cheese Cookies in three flavours including Honey & Gorgonzola ($14 a box). There is also a Strawberry Milk Roll ($24) stuffed with strawberry cream and jam made from Fukuoka’s Amaou strawberries and Hokkaido condensed milk. If you like ice cream, go for the soft-serve sold under the Factory’s adorably named Cow Cow Ice line, like a Cheese Soft Serve ($4) made with gouda and Hokkaido cream cheese. Add $1 for a house-made cheddar cheese cone, or spring for the Cow Cow Ice Sundae ($8.50) topped with a slice of milk cheesecake and a salt and camembert cookie.

Morozoff This popular Japanese luxury confectionery maker that’s almost a century old makes a return to our shores, after its shop in Daimaru shuttered in 2003 (together with the department store). Interestingly, it's now been brought in by local electronics company Uptron (which distributes the Sony Playstation in Southeast Asia). On offer will be almost all the brand's offerings, including chocolates, cookies and packaged baked goods such as madeleines. Bestsellers include the Arcadia (from $15 for 90g), an aromatic and delicate cookie made with egg whites baked to a crisp and packed full of roasted nuts.

Tsuruhashi Fugetsu This 56-seat restaurant famous for its okonomiyaki hails from Osaka. Here, Japanese chefs transplanted from the original outlet man six open teppan counters, where they griddle your pancakes with fresh cabbage, yakisoba (fried egg noodles) and an assortment of pan-fried meat and seafood. Besides the classic version ($10.80), other variations include the Cheetama-Buta-Tama (S$14.80), featuring stringy cheese, egg and pork. Pair your pancake with the Fried Buta Kimchi (S$9.80), a spicy offering showcasing stir-fried pork with the Korean side-dish staple.